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Sant Bani Magazine Aug.lSept. 1992

The Voice of the Saints

voi. 17-2 & 3

Sant Ji's Visit to Idaho & Alberta

Sant Bani Magazine The Voice of the Saints AugustlSeptember 1992 - Volume 17, Numbers 2 & 3

To Become the True Sanyasi Sant Ajaib Singh Ji a Satsang from Alberta June 18, 1992

Sant Ji's Visit to Idaho A. S. Oberoi a personal account

Inn of Madness Sant Kirpal Singh Ji reprinted from Sat Sandesh

I- Am Blessed - Sandra lioss a poem

Three Meditation Talks from Idaho Sant Ajaib Singh Ji

Sant Ji's Visit to Alberta A. S. Oberoi a personal account

To Put Ourselves in the W a-y of Seva Tibor Farkas a personal experience of the Alberta program

Born in the Home of the Satguru Sant Ajaib Singh Ji a question and answer talk, March 6, 1992

Correction: The caption with the photo on page 9 of the July 1992 issue indicated the picture was taken in Mexico. This photo and a similar one in the June issue were both taken outside Sant Ji's house at Shamaz Meditation Retreat.

Photo Credits: Front cover, John Pianowski; pp. 4, 36, 47, back cover, Pat Brown; pp. 13, 42, Richard Shannon; pp. 16, 33, Gurmel Singh; p. 17, Jonas Gerard; p. 32, Neil Wolf.

SANT BANIIThe Voice of the Saints is published periodically by Sant Bani Ashram, Inc., Sanbornton, N.H., U.S.A., for the purpose of disseminating the teachings of the living Master, Sant Ajaib Singh Ji, of His Master, Param Sant Kirpal Singh Ji, and of the Masters who preceded Them. Editor Emeritus: Russell Perkins. Editor: Richard Shannon, with kind assistance from: Randy Budington, Edythe Grant, Catharine Farkas, Chris Rinehart, David

International Money Order or a check drawn on a New York bank (with a micro-encoded number). Correspondence should be addressed to Sant Bani Ashram, Franklin, N.H. 03235, Articles, including stories and poems, on the theofy and practice of Sant Mat, are elcome. Views expressed in individual articles are not necessarily the views of the

To Become the True Sanyasi Sant Ajaib Singh Ji

P

Swami Ji Maharaj has described the condition of the souls from the beginning till the end-how much the soul has to suffer and what the soul has to go through in her life. Even though the Masters have described the manbody as the highest in the whole creation, no one seems to be happy in this human body.

If we ask anyone we will find that he is full of sufferings and pain. We realize the value of the human body only when death comes. When death comes the person realizes that whatever [spiritual] capital he had, he wasted that for nothing, because at the time of death neither the wealth which a person collects nor the family to whom he is attached goes with him. Nothing from this world accompanies him. So Saints and Mahatmas lovingly explain to us that when the human bodies are not easy-they are always involved in pain and suffering-we can very well imagine how much suffering the lower bodies must have.

We know how thousands of animals are killed every day just for the food of the human beings. At what place can they go and complain? Where are their parents who can come and help them?

Is there any place they can get bandages for their bodies? Can they get any treatment for their bodies which are hurt and killed by the human beings? See the condition of the bullocks and horses who pull the carts and wagons. Even on broThh Satsang was given June 18, 1992, at ken roads, they are overloaded with the A & K Farm, Rimbey, Alberta, Canada. burden but they have to carry it. Is there

lease listen to the Satsang quietly, sitting in your places. Guru Angad Dev Ji Maharaj said, "I sacrifice myself for my Master one hundred times a day; the Master who did not take even one moment in turning a human being into God." All those who have gone within and seen the reality and greatness of their Masters have bowed down to their Masters. So I also bow down to my beloved Masters who showered so much grace on this poor soul, who cooled down the heated heart of this poor soul.

Our soul is of the same essence as that of God who is Alakh, Agam, Anaami [limitless, formless, nameless]. Our intellect cannot understand Him; both our mind and intellect are ignorant ones. The ABC of Spirituality starts where the reach of mind and intellect is finished.

After getting separated from Sach Khand, our eternal home, and being in the company of the mind, whatever karmas our souls do become like chains in which the souls are caught. Lord Krishna told Udo that the good and bad deeds, the sins and virtues, both are like chains.

Good karmas are like golden chains and bad karmas are like iron chains, but both of them bind the souls and keep them in this world. In order to pay off the karmas which we do while obeying our mind, our soul has to come again and again into this world.

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to be settled. Those animals whom we kill, cut up, put in spices, and eat them-they will do the same thing with us.

Why do we suffer so much pain in these lower bodies? Only because we did not appreciate the human birth when God Almighty gave it to us. God Almighty gave this precious opportunity to us; He gave us this human body in which we were supposed to do His devotion and realize Him. Instead of doing the devotion and realizing Him, we wasted it in the pleasures of the world. That is why we come back in the lower bodies to bear all the sufferings. We didn't even think about how we have to open this bag in which any court where they can complain? We Naam is present. The precious gift of people have never considered this: sup- Naam can be obtained only from the pose the animals whom we kill for 0u.r Saints and Mahatmas.

The Masters. the Saints, the Pirs, the pleasure were holding the axes and knives in their hands-if we were under Rishis and Munis have come in all the ages. They have all assumed the human them and they were ready to kill usbody. But our greatest enemy Mind, who would we feel pain or happiness?

I have often said that even when a is sitting within us, does not let us go to the Masters and follow the true Path. He doctor is boiling a syringe or needlehe is doing that for our benefit, so that involves us in strange kinds o f rites and he can inject medicine which will cure rituals.

Sometimes we set off to the places us^--when we see him boiling that very small needle and we know that he is of pilgrimage and we seek liberation by going to pierce our body-this big body bathing in the holy waters there. Somewhich is six feet starts trembling in fear. times we seek liberation in worship, other Guru Nanak Sahib says that in this world times we seek liberation doing the rites no one remains without giving and tak- and rituals. Sometimes a wave of thought ing. The give and take of every soul has comes and we give up our homes and 4

SANT R A h l

one is the way of the devil and the other is the way of God. Following the Path of the Masters is going to a perfect Master, getting the Initiation from Him and meditating according to His instructions and guidance: coming to the Eye Center, vacating the nine openings, going within and reaching Par Brahm, reaching the Feet of the Master. That is called following the Path of the Masters. Only when we reach Par Brahm do we know what the Path of the Masters really means.

The wave of thought comes into the mind and one becomes a "sadhu." He gives up his home and starts begging from and living off the earnings of the other people. He is called a sadhu, but he did not do any practice to become a real Sadhu. Once some yogis were going around begging, so Guru Angad Dev Ji Maharaj said, "You have become yogis and you are going from door to door begging. When you go to the Court of the Lord you will be given double the punishment."

Guru Nanak Sahib says, "lt is very easy to beg for and eat those things, but it is very difficult to pay for the things which we have begged and have eaten, because whenever people give the donations, they always give it expecting something in return."

The Manmukh gives up his own Kabir Sahib said, "The food of the householder is very dangerous. It has home when the wave of renunciation comes; teeth which are long, and only if one He gets in d@iculties and begs at meditates, only then can he survive. the doors of others.

Otherwise, that food of the householder which one has taken without meditating Guru Nanak lovingly says, "There are can cut the intestines. two ways or two Paths. One is the path Master Sawan Singh Ji used to say of the mind, the other is the Path of the that you will have to pay back the perMasters, the Way of the Saints." Even son whose food you are eating, whether the Muslims say that there are two ways, you become a horse and pay him back

families and reside in the seclusion of the jungles, but when another wave of thought comes we also give that up and come back to the family.

A hymn of Guru Nanak Dev Ji is presented to you. It is worth listening to with much attention. At the time when Guru Nanak Sahib was born in India, there were many people who were involved in doing the yogic practices. They used to do the pranayama and other practices. Even now in India you can find many people who are involved in such practices, that is why India is called the land of Rishis and Munis. In the time of Guru Nanak Sahib, those who were calling themselves as the sadhus had not done any true practices and had not become true sadhus, but they were called the sadhus. Those who were doing these kinds of practices used to come and debate and argue with Guru Nanak Sahib.

Once some sanyasis came to Guru Nanak Sahib and started arguing with Him. They said, "We are the true renunciates; we are the sanyasis and you are a householder. We are the true sadhus. You have not done any renunciation; you have not left your home. So how can you say you are a sadhu or a renunciate?" So Guru Nanak Sahib is lovingly explaining to them.

AugustlSeptem ber 1 992

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by carrying his load, or you become a dog or a camel, in some form you will have to pay back the person whose food you have taken.

He leaves the life of the householders, does not meet with the Satguru, and thusfalls into the whirlpool of bad intellect.

He fills up his stomach like the beasts.

He neither did the meditation of the Surat Shabda nor went to any master. He didn't do any practices. He just ate the food and slept in the night like the animals do.

Swami Ji Maharaj says that without the Shabd one remains in the illusion.

Why did they come into this world who did not get the wealth of Shabd?

It means that he left his home and he went to tour the world. He did not explain to his own mind, but he read to and tried to make other people understand. He tells the other people, "You need to give up lust; you must leave anger, greed and the other passions," but he himself is filled up with all these passions. Outside he is showing people that he is a mahatma, but within himself he is full of all these bad qualities.

Kabir Sahib said, "He is protecting the courtyards of others but his own house is on fire." If one whose own house is on fire carrys water to other people's houses to extinguish their fires, do you thmk that is wisdom? It would be much better for him to first extinguish the fires of lust, anger, greed, attachment and egoism which are going on within hirnfirst he should put his own fires outonly then should he read and explain to others.

Tulsi Sahib says that a person reads the four Vedas, the eighteen Simritis and all the other holy scriptures, but he does not practice what he has read. He speaks from what he has read but does not practice; he is l k e that Chandool bird who ~mitatesthe voices of the other blrds.

Now Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj is telling them how one can become a true sanyasi. Only after reaching Par Brahrn will our desires and our expectations, our thoughts and our fantasies, come to an end; then we become the true sanyasis. Just by shaving off our hair and wearing colored robes we cannot become sanyasis.

Guru Nanak Sahib says, "If one meets a perfect Master, Who Himself goes within, only He can take us within." When we remove all these covers from our soul and reach Par Brahrn only then we can become the sanyasis. So Guru Nanak Sahib says, "If I meet such a sanyasi, I am ready to touch His feet."

His heart is filled up with lust and anger, but the one who has not become a sanyasi has the pride, he has the ego, that he has become a sanyasi.

He does not search for the Shabd within the fast dzssolving body;

Even if one dyes his clothes in dark red or safron, and wears the clothes of a beggar-

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0 Baba, this is how the [true] san-

yasi lives his life: He is attuned to the Shabd of the Master, dyed in the color of Naam He remains satiated.

SANT BANI

Earlier Guru Sahib told us how one can become a true sanyasi. Now He tells how people usually become the "sanyasis."

They get some saffron color and they color their clothes with that saffron color. They wear long robes and they say they are sanyasis. Just by imitating one cannot become a sadhu and one cannot realize God. Your illusion will not be removed because you have worry in your mind. Just as you cannot kill a snake with a small instrument, you may wear saffron colored clothes, or white colored clothes, or black colored clothes on this body, it doesn't have anything to do with your soul. Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj says, "You may wear the blue colored clothes, or the saffron colored clothes, or the white colored clothes, it will do nothing to your soul."

The snake shakes off the skin after a couple of months and he does not feel any pain. It doesn't bother him to remove that skin. In the same way, when this soul leaves the body, she will not get any suffering.

He has lost, just as the gambler loses the game.

Mind is blind. He did not meet the Master. He did not get the Shabd and he did not utilize this precious human birth for the purpose for which it was given, and instead of doing the things which he was supposed to do, he indulged in the pleasures. So just as a gambler, after his whole day gambling, goes back to his home empty-handed, losing all that he ha4 in the same way, one who did not get the Master and the Naam goes back from this world llke a lost gambler.

We people do the karmas in this world just as a blind person who is trying to find his way. He trys to find the way, but he does not know where he is going. We do not know why we are suffering nor from which karma we are suffering the consequences. We don't know why we are happy nor which karma's reward is giving us happiness. We do not even know where we were before we came into this world and where we have to go after this life. So just as that blind person does not know where he is and is Tearing 08his clothes he makes trying to find his way, in the same way, a patchwork wallet and within we do the karmas in the world llke a it puts the maya. blind man; that is why we are called the blind of intellect.

He begs at every door. Make othIn Nowshera, Jalanjat was a very ers understand, the blind one good meditator. Once when his daughhas lost his honor in this way. ter was going to get married, his wife told him that he should go to ask the One begged in the whole of the world pundit to find an auspicious day for the and became very wealthy, but he did not marriage. Jalanjat told her, "Whatever get any peace; he did not get any con- God will do, that is the best, His will is tentment. Instead, he has the pride, he the best; so why bother going to the punhas the ego, that he is a sadhu. dit and finding out the auspicious day because all the days are auspicious."

He is lost in the illusion and But, when his wife insisted, then he doesn't recognize the Shabd; had to go. On the way to the pundit's

house, he saw one doctor's house in which people were weeping and mourning. He asked somebody there, "Why are these people crying?" They replied that somebody had died in their home.

So he asked that since they were doctors didn't they give any treatment? Didn't they give any medicine? They replied, "Yes, they did everything they could, but nobody can erase the Will of God." Further, when he arrived at the pundit's house to find out the auspicious day for his daughter's wedding, there also the people were crying and mourning a death. He asked, "What is the reason?

Why are they crying?" They replied that the pundit's son-in-law had died.

So he went back to his home and said, "In the doctor's home people were crying, and they could not save his life; and in the home of the pundit there was also a death. Let us give up everything into the hands of God. Whatever will please Him, that will happen.

In the commentary on the Asa Ji di Vars, the new book In the Palace of love, you will come across a section in which it is written, people go to the pundit and they ask him to find the auspicious day but that pundit does not know what is going to happen or what is happening.

He doesn't even know about his own self-what will happen to hlm. But still, we go to the pundits and ask them to find the good days for us.

In India, this illusion, this superstition, is still continued. In my ashram one day after bathing I was taking a walk outside. One very good pundit came to the ashram and he told me, "Today is Tuesday and on this day not even the buffaloes put their heads in the water, and you are a man and you have washed your hair, you have bathed." So I told

him, "I am not a buffalo; I am a man."

Without the Master the inner fire is not extinguished.

Yet outside he burns the fires of the austerities.

Dear ones, Guru Nanak Sahib says, "Within you there are fires: there are the fires of lust, anger, greed, attachment and egoism. There is so much fire going on within you and outside also you have burned these five fires-you are burning yourself in ten fires."

The devotion of God cannot be done without sewing the Master; How can you know yourselp Guru Nanak Sahib tells the sanyasis that first of all you need to go to the perfect Master and learn the Way from Him. Get the Initiation from Him and then with the Simran which He will give to you, collect your attention, and bring it to the Eye Center. Go within and manifest the Master. And that is called the seva of the Master. This is what Guru Nanak Sahib says, "The disciple of the Master dies while living." Why do we get up from the meditation early? Why do we fear meditating? Because we are not dying while living.

One day in the Satsang in Rajasthan a Chaudhri, a chief of some village. a very strong person. came into the Satsang and he went around asking the dear ones there, "How can one die while living?'' So they told him, "Only the Saint, only the Master. can tell you that." I was about to give the Initiation when he came and told me that he wanted to know how one can die while livmg. I told him.

SANT BANI

"Come along with me, that is what I am going to teach to the dear ones." But whose karmas could he bring? When I told him to come, he did not come.

How can he wash off the dirt of sins?

Guru Nanak Sahib says that even if a critic bathes in the sixty-eight holy waters-in India there are sixty-eight platBy criticizing he becomes the resies which are considered to be the holy dent of Hell; pilgrimages-ven if the critic goes to Within him obscure darkness preall the sixty-eight places of pilgrimage vails. and bathes in those holy waters, still he One group or one sect of these so-called cannot remove the sins which he has sadhus criticizes the other sect or group done by criticizing others. and in that way they are preparing to go Sifting the ashes he adorns his to hell. If you go to Hardwar there you forehead. He looks at the way will find so many different groups of of Maya. people who have taken up the outer apHe is not the same within as he pearances, who wear all these colored appears outside, and if one clothes, etc. They go on criticizing and speah Truth he gets upset. abusing each other. So how can they reach God? They are preparing their way Now He says, "He has put ashes all over to hell.

All the Master's have said that we his body and he has become the sadhu should not criticize anyone, not even the like that, but within him the dirt of all sinners, because criticism is a tasteless the pleasures and passions is there. He sin. Guru Nanak Sahib says that criti- is not the same within as he looks from cism is not good for anyone. The man- outside." mukhs are attached to it. Their faces get blackened and they go to the hells. MasHe reads the Holy book, [but] he ter Sawan Singh Ji used to say, "Critispeaks the lies; cism is neither bitter, nor sweet, nor does Such is the way of one who does it have any other taste; but still we are not have a Mastev. affected by thls disease and day and night we are involved in criticizing others."

Guru Nanak Sahib says, "He reads and Master Sawan Singh Ji also used to makes other people listen, and he tells say that the person whom you are criti- people that there is no liberation withcizing, all his sins, all his bad qualities out the Master. But he himself has not will be added to your account, and all gone to any Master." Guru Nan& Sahib your good qualities, your virtues, will says, "Curse on the life of the one who be added to the account of the person is without the mantra of the Master. His whom you are criticizing. life is like that of the pigs, the dogs, and the donkeys." Guru Sahib says that the He suffers in the illusions by gonehguru or one who does not have the ing to the sixty-eight places of Master, is in fact rejected by Him with pilgrimage; the curse that he will not get the Master

and he will not have faith in the Master.

Kabir Sahib says, "0 Kabir, may I not meet one who does not have the Master." It is better to meet thousands of sinners because on the back of one who does not have a Master there is the load of millions of sins. He who has not tasted the sweets, how can he talk about and how can he tell other people about the taste of the sweets. In the same way, he who does not have a Master, who does not have the Naam, how can he tell other people about the importance of the Master and the Naam?

He doesn't meditate on Naam, how can he get happiness?

Without Naam how can he be glorified?

Peace is in the Naam, but he did not get the Naam. There is contentment in the Naam yet he did not meditate on Naam.

He shaves o f t h e hair, or he grows long hair and ties it; The proud one remains silent, but His mind runs in all ten directions without getting the seIf knowledge.

Now lovingly, Guru Nanak Sahib Ji explains to them. He says, when the wave of thoughts comes in the mind, one becomes a moni. Monis are those who do not say anything with their mouths. They write down and beg for things but they do not say anything with their mouths.

So Guru Nanak Sahib says that even though they became the monis, their desires are still the same in their hearts.

Giving up the nectar he drinks the great poison.

He is crazy after Maya.

Guru Sahib says that God has kept the nectar of Naam within everyone. Whether one is Hindu or Muslim or Sikh or Christian, within everyone God has kept this nectar of Naarn, but one does not go within and drink this nectar. He eats the poison of "I and mine" and he eats the poisons of the passions and the pleasures. How can he get peace?

What is written in o n e s destiny cannot be erased; He doesn 2 know the Divine Will.

So he is counted with the beasts. his hand is the begging bowl; he wears a patched cloth but in his mind great desire is created.

Abandoning his own wife the lust prevailed, so he looks at other women.

He picked up the kamundal (the special kind of cup which the Sadhus have in their hand) and he gave up his own family, his wife and children. He went outside. He left his own wife, but he started looking at the other people's wives.

He teaches others, but doesn 't recognize the Shabd.

He is invol~~ed in cheap worldly affairs.

Now in his heart he has the desire-he has this hunger-that he should have many disciples, that he should become the Master of everyone, and that he should be well-known in the world. But he does not have the five Shabds, the SANT DAM

five Names with him. He has not done the meditation. He doesn't go within, but he has the desire that people should follow him. So those who follow such a person-one who doesn't have the Shabd and who does not meditate and go within-they also go to hell. They also follow him where he goes.

her hands so that the Sadhu may accept

her.

The Master of such sadhus sits within them carrying all the riches, all the prosperity, and whatever such sadhus need He always provides them with those things.

Master Kirpal Singh Ji used to say that once Maya went to the court of the Lord and her forehead was wounded. She Within him is the poison; outside had many bruises there and she had lost he is calm. her hair also. So God Almighty asked The Yama humiliate such ones. her why her condition had become llke The Yarna, the angels of death, will both- that. She replied, "I go to the court of er such people and the Lord of Judg- the Master, to the court of the Saints, ment will send them to the hell. Why? and I rub my forehead at Their door, but Because they did not do the meditation They do not accept me. But the worldly of the Naam. They did not do good to people, those who are hungry for me, their own selves. We can deceive our they chase me and try to catch hold of own selves, but no one can deceive God me by my hair and that is why I don't who is sitting within us. Kabir Sahib have any hair left. said, "Sitting within us, God Almighty He doesn 't bark in vain; he treais looking at everyone's deeds and whatsures the wealth of forgiveever one does for Him, he gets the reward from Him accordingly." ness, and burns the passions with the Naam.

Blessed are such householders, He who serves the Satguru, eliminating his own self; is a sansanyasis, yogis, who devote their mind to the Feet of the yasi.

Lord.

He doesn 't desire for clothing and food. Whatever he gets unexpectedly he accepts.

Now He says, "The question is of turning the mind. Whether you do it while Guru Nanak Sahib says that one who living as a householder, or you do it goes within and who manifests the Mas- after becoming a sadhu." The thing is ter within and who reaches Par Brahm that if you are living a householders life, is the true sanyasi. And such people do since you are earning your own livelinot remain the beggars of this world, hood, you can get all the things you need they become the beggars of God and of by yourself. Whereas if you have bethe Master. Maya keeps following them come a sadhu you will have to go and and she rubs her nose at the door of ask other people for those things. such sanyasis.

Guru Nanak Sahib neither criticizes Guru Sahib says that Maya stands in the householders nor he says anything the court of the Sadhu folding both of against the renunciates or the sadhus.

August/Septem her 1992

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He says that anyone, it doesn't matter if he is a renunciate or a householder, anyone who does the meditation of the Shabd Naam, only he who does the meditation of Shabd Naam is accepted by God. A renunciate, or a tyagi is always hungry. If he has eaten his morning meal, he is worried about his evening meal. but the householder does not have that kind of difficulty because he has earned his livelihood and he knows that it is there.

A sanyasi who is attuned to the One remains Jetachedfrom all the desires.

Peace comes by drinking the Nectar of the Lord. He always contemplates on his True Home.

If one goes within and dr~nksthat Naam only then one gets the peace and contentment.

His mind doesn't waver, the gurumukh recognizes and his running around stops.

He searches within the home of this body according to the teachings of the Master and gets the Naam.

Gurumukhs know when they reach Sach Khand what happens to the string of the mind which is holding them in this world, because the mind is the essence of Brahm and the mind remains in the Brahm. Only the Gurumukhs know how one has to search in the mind and how one has to search in the body and how by going within one has to reach one's home.

Brahma, Vzshnu, Mahesh are the best only if they are imbued in the Naam.

0 Lord in the creatures of all the Khani, Bani, Gagan, and Patali, * is Your Light.

Rishis and Munis have counted that there are thirty-three krores of gods and goddesses and out of these thirty-three krores, they say that Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are the best ones. But here He says, "If one has not got the Naam, then it doesn't matter even if one becomes Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. he does not get the liberation."

True Naam is the giver of all Happiness, and liberation. Adopt it in your heart.

Nanak s a p , Without Nnam you will not become free, swim across the true way.

Now Guru Nan& Sahib lovingly explains to the sanyasis in every possible way. I myself have done many of these deeds, these karmas, which he has mentioned in my life, but it is all hke churning the water. The meditation of the Shabd Naam is like the churning of the milk and getting butter fiom it.

So Guru Nan& Sahib says that all the happiness, all the peace is obtained by doing the meditation of the Naam.

This is the only thing which can make you the liberated one, which can free you from all the sufferings. So if it is

* Khani, the five sources of life; Bani, Word or Shabd; Gagan, ether or sky; Patali, underworld. "0 Lord In all the creatures, in all the regions, is Your Light."

S A M BANI

Sant Ji giving Sarsang at .4 & K Farm, Rimbey, Alberra, Canada

written in your fate, if it is written in your destiny, you catch the Shabd because all the happiness. all the peace are in catching the Shabd, catching that Naarn. So he said, "If it is in your fate, if it is in your destiny, you go to the Perfect Master and get the Naarn from Him and do the meditation of Naam, because this is the only thing which will take you across."

Sant Mat is not the path of criticizing others. Sant Mat is the path of self August/Septemher 1992

improvement. But in Sant Mat we are told that all the rites and rituals, all the outer rites and rituals which we are doing, will not take us anywhere, because the true peace, the true liberation is the meditation of the Shabd Naam. That biaam cannot be read and it cannot be written. I t is the unwritten law and unspoken language. So according to what Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj said we should make our lives pure and we should also do the meditation of Naarn.

Sant Ji's Visit to Idaho A. S. OBEROI

T

he mood of the people at Shamaz Retreat had generally become intoxicated towards the end of the program there, and a tumult of sentiments seemed to write large on everyone's face. As if Nature wished not to lag behind, deep, dark, thick clouds in the sky and occasional soft and swift showers became a common sight. There were concerns about whether a helicopter would be able to fly Sant Ji to San Francisco on the day of departure. The decision was left until just a few hours before the scheduled time of departure, when due to the weather the pilot said that he could only fly safely from Ukiah, a town at the foot of the hills surrounding Shamaz. Sant Ji decided to travel by car and left the retreat at 9:00 a.m., after quick and sweet darshans. Sant Ji flew from San Francisco to Spokane, Washington, arriving in mid-afternoon.

Kupal Ashram is about 90 minutes excellent drive from the airport and is situated in a beautiful little valley surrounded on all sides by high mountains covered with towering green trees. The clouds seemed to travel freely not only from right to left, and left to right, but up and down and down and up, making a marvelous and special scene. A small pond just below the Master's house which is on a small hillock added enchantment to the setting.

Rain, even though a small amount, became a daily feature during the fourday stay, and the dear ones who had organized the program told Sant Ji on one of His rounds that they were feeling pretty hot during the preceding six weeks or 14

so, and had feared that if the rain did not come, life in general, and crops in particular would be affected adversely.

It had started raining from the morning Sant Ji was due to arrive there. Sant Ji said, "Thanks to H a m Sawan and IOrpal Who have showered grace and sent the rain to make the crops grow green and Who have arranged the Satsang program to make their holy remembrance green and strong."

The program was planned to be small, mainly for the dear ones living nearby, but the fragrance of the Masters invariably spills over by itself, and un-mindful of the limitations imposed, sensitive noses cannot help but run there regardless. Around 250 people did finally arrive at this very peaceful place and they enjoyed the program with its solemnity and uniqueness. Sant Ji felt relaxed and happy and found time to see every place when one or another arrangement was made, with a strain-free face and bewitching smile.

There were three meditation sessions and the profound morning chill made the dear ones more receptive to receive the warmth of Sant Ji's love and sit in meditation undisturbed and stung by the radiance of His eyes. [EDITOR'S NOTE: Sant Ji 5 Idaho meditation talks appear elsewhere in this issue.]

Private darshan sessions were held on all the three days, and only those dear ones went to see Sant Ji who had not met Him in Mexico or California during the current tour. Of the many dear ones who saw Sant Ji quite a number were old couples who were excited and SANT BANI

intoxicated in the love of the Guru and said that they had nothing much to say, except for expressing their gratitude and to have a deep look at Him and into His eyes, and also to seek His loving glance to lift them up and make them strong in His love.

There were two dear ones who wanted to talk to me and when I asked them what for, they said they wanted to share their experience with me. One of the dear ones told me that he was feeling grateful and indebted to His Guru, Master Kirpal for asking him to go to Sant Ji and meditate with Him. Because Sant Ji had done so all His life it would persuade that dear one also to meditate more and it would strengthen his devotion and faith in his own Guru. The dear one said that he could say for sure that he had actually benefited immensely by this and the memory of his Guru had become very fresh. Every time he goes to meet Sant Ji, his faith and trust in the Guru goes up considerably.

The other dear one said that even though Master IQrpal was taller in stature and somewhat stronger in physique and size compared to Sant Ji he saw Kirpal many times in Sant Ji, and while seeing photos of Master firpal, he saw Ajaib instead in the photos of Master firpal. This gave me great pleasure to hear, as in a way, this was part of my own experience many years earlier.

Another lady who was in charge of food had an interesting incident to relate. She said that on the 13th of June there was a delay in the preparation of lunch. The rice and vegetables were not ready when it became time to collect all the food at one place to be blessed by Sant Ji. She took the semi-cooked rice and vegetables in big containers and put

it where the rest of the food was to be blessed, but kept praying within her self that the food should be all right, fit to be eaten, as otherwise she would have to face a very embarrassing situation. After the food was blessed by Sant Ji and He went away, the frightened and prayerful dear one checked the rice and vegetables and found to her pleasant surprise that they were fully cooked, tasty and fit to be served. This brought the precious words of Hazur firpal to my mind that when everything fails, prayer succeeds, as it is very potent and effective. [EDITOR'S NOTE:There are several versions of this story; we should not overplay the miraculous aspect of it. The real miracle is thaf God became a man and dwelt among us, coming halflay around the world to bless our food and tell us heartto-heart how to become like Him.] b p a l Ashram had a separate builtin room for children's darshan and the kids could sit there at ease. The sessions at this place seemed more intense and strong, perhaps due to the fact that not many parents came, as Sant Ji had advised that only those parents should come whose children were very young and who could not sit by themselves, and for every such child only one of the parents need come. Children therefore had more of Sant Ji's attention and were seemingly more buoyant and bubbling, waving their hands, making various types of movement to signal their happiness and glee on being with Sant Ji. Sant Ji said during the sessions that He was very happy to be with the children in this program and encouraged the organizers to teach the children to sing the bhajans devotedly, to care for their teachers and parents and to obey them.

Sant Ji held three Satsangs here and

Sant Ji planted an apple tree at Kirpal Ashram each one was special in its own case. In one Satsang Sant Ji strongly urged each one of us to examine minutely whether every good action which we did was actually not fueling our ego after doing it.

Afterwards one dear one said that it was a powerhl talk, like a beating done with a lot of love, to save us from blunders which we commit without realizing what

a loss we would incur thereby. Master Kirpal Singh Ji used to urge that after doing seva or any other good action, we must become humble and feel indebted to the Great G w u that with His help and grace, He had made us an insh-ument of His divine plan. He used to say that what we did brought credit to the Lord Who gave us the sense to do it and not to us.

SAhT BANI

2izn of

Madness Sant lrpal Singh Ji

reprintedfrom the April 1972 Sat Sandesh

his whole lifc cxploring thc so-callcd wonders of thc world in outer things and places, but fcw ever dream of exploring the inncr dcpths of this wonderful housc in which wc livethe physical form. Throughout history. fcw have solved the mystifying riddle of lifc.

When regarding the body. what d o we scc'? D o we see but a five to six foot statue of matter? Do we not realize that some power sustains this human form, and is in fact imprisoned within it?

Even though the body has nine outIcts. yct the prisoner within cannot get out through any of thim. Why'? Because it is being controlled. Brcathing goes on inccssantly, and when the breath gocs out, it does not st:~y out; sonic powcr is drawing it back into the body. Sometimes a man is shot-per-

M

AN SPENDS

Augusr/September 1992

haps ten o r twcnty tirncs-yet he does not die. On the other hand, he might slip when walking and break his neckwhat a grand enigma! We have no knowledgc of this power within; we never give a thought to it, o r to that source from which it draws life and sustcnance.

Masters have said that those people who d o not believe in God, even though they may always be near the holy places, are atheists. However, tbose who d o not know who they truly are, realistically spcaking. are morc atheistic. Excuse me, but wherc God is concerned, are we not all atheists? For no one has scen Him. A small child is more conscious of his true self than an adult. but as hc grows hc bccomcs more and more awarc of thc body. When you ask him who he is, he will opcn his eyes and

mouth wide in an endeavor to express what he truly is; but when fully grown he will tell you. "I am Ram Das" or "1 am Ram Singh" for he cannot differentiate between his body m d his real self.

When you say. "This is my body." have you ever taken it off as you remove your coat or shoes? We say. "This is my body." but in fact we have become the body. We d o not know who "1" is, or who it is that says "This is mine." So it is a more damaging ignorance not to know one's true self-that self which must eventually experience the Overself. The self or soul is the conscious entity which enlivens the body. and which depends on something even greater for its very existence. As long as i t is not conscious of its true nature, it cannot experience that Greater Nature. so in the true sense there a r e very few theists in the world: for a theist is one who has realized himself and has realized the Lord also. Intellectually. the whole world can say. "I am not the mind. I am not the senses. I am not the intellect. I am not the pranas." and so on. but has anyone ever separated himself from these things? h'e can take off our coat and hat. but can we step out of the body and see who the indweller is?

Self-realized people say that the greatest book of knowledge is the physical form, through which all written scriptures have come. The explorers of the body. the Rishis. Munis and Mahatmas, realized the truth of the mystery and found the power that controls the human being-and that is one's true self.

That in turn is sustained by the Overself. Scriptures came through such men who were in tune from within, who, by analyzing themselves and rising above body consciousness. got into higher touch and became the mouthpiece of

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the Greater Power. Whatever they said came direct from that Power: they did not speak at the level of mind o r senses, and this is the big difference between words that come from a realized person and words that come from the intellect, for the intellectual can only speak from that level, whereas the realized soul speaks as inspired from above.

Emerson said, Those thoughts which come without thinking are always perfect. A Muslim fakir says. Actually you are the mother o f all books, and he also says. When your outer self finds your real self. Then you will see that sornething is witlzin you and that G o d is speaking within yolr. Guru Nanak says.

Whutever comes from the Beloved. I give oui. H e does not speak from his own thoughts. Christ said. I have not ~ p o k e no f myself: but the Father which sent m e , he gave m e a cornmand~nent, what I should suy, and $$,hat I shorrld speak. When Philip asked to be shown the Father. Christ reminded him. Have I been so long wlth you and yet thou hast not known m e . Phrlry7 He that hath seen m e , hath seen the Father. . . . I a m 211 the Father and the Father 111 m e T h e words I speak urzto you I speak not of m y s e l f . but the Father that dwelleth 212 nie, he doer11 the works.

For example. if one listens to a radio that is tuned in, one hears the sound.

From what place does the radio catch the sound? From whatever station it is attuned to. A God-realized person is in tune with the Lord. and in him the Lord speaks: Bruhm speaks through the phjsicai form: I f there were no physical f o r m , how would Brahm speak? That Divine Link is in each human being: not morc in one and less in another, but the same in all. However. only those who have come into realization and are the mouthpiece of God can see that I S ANT BANI

and my Father are one. This is because they rose above the mind, senses, and the net of illusion and saw that the Sustainer of all life is the one Lord.

During the life of the Rishi Bhardwaj, a householder by the name of Shonak went to him one day and said, "Maharaj, what is that thing, knowing which all else is known?" The Rishi looked at him and saw that he was a householder. You should understand that householders are very different today. In those days a man would become a householder after twenty-five years of brahmcharya [chastity in thought, word and deed], during which time he gained extensive knowledge of the Vedas and Shastras, the ancient Hindu scriptures.

After twenty-five years of leading a householder's life according to the teachings of the Shastras, he would enter the Vanprastha ashram [secluded life, devoted solely to the realization of the Lord], cut off from worldly life and worldly people. You might say that in this day and age the latter phase has become more like a business. A man reads one or two books and then starts giving lectures, but pays little attention to the inner self. If a man's eye is not open, what can he say on the subject?

Kabir Sahib once had a conversation with a learned pundit, and eventually remarked to him, Oh brother, your mind and my mind can never agree; I say what I see and you say what has been written. It is entirely different to speak from experience. One can never be fully convinced by reading someone else's statements, for seeing is believing.

God gave equal privileges to all human beings, and the only difference between a Master-soul and an ordinary man is that one is in tune and the other is not.

The embodied soul has got consciousness, for while living in this physical August/Septernber 1992

form yet it is of the same essence as God, who is All Consciousness. He is the Ocean and we are the drops, but unfortunately we are under the influence of the mind; the mind in turn is being dragged by the senses, and the senses are dragged by worldly enjoyments. In this way, the jiva [embodied soul; soul in creation] has become the image of the body and the world, identified so much so with these that it has forgotten its true identity. For him who has forgotten his own self, the matter of knowing the Lord is very far away. For this reason nearly all Masters have advised, Man, know thyself. Nanak says, Without knowing oneself, this illusion will not go. And when does one see what the soul is? When the senses are stilled, the mind is stilled and the intellect at rest, then only will one know the soul.

It is for the soul to experience the Lord -He cannot be known by senses, mind, intellect or pranas. It is very clear-cut.

Knowledge is like a child of all books.

Love is the mother of all books, for God is love and the soul, being of the same essence as the Lord, is also love. But what do we do with this love? At the sense-level we scatter it in hundreds and thousands of places. One heart and millions of desires; on top o f that more desires; Then where is the place for Him to sit? If one withdraws from everything else and concentrates in one place, great power will spring forth. If a pipe has ten holes and you close up nine of them, the water will simply gush out of the tenth. Up to now our soul has been under the mind's control, but by withdrawing from the outer influences and receiving strength, it can gain control of the whole being. Remember that God is All-Attention, and the soul, having the same nature, is also all-attention in miniature. When that All-Attention wished

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to become from one to many the whole of creation came into being. The soul also has great power, but under the mind's influence it has scattered its attention hither and thither, thereby weakening itself. If only it would withdraw from the outer attractions, it could create a town, at least. It is with much sorrow that I say that the soul's strength has been divided into so many avenues.

So all true Masters sap that realizing is there God is 2 simple matter-What to realizing the Lord? Just uproot the iittetztiotz f r o m here and plant it there.

I t is simply a matter of withdrawing and gathering together the scattered attention. As you know, the rays of the sun under normal conditions will not ignite anything. but if you pass them through a convex lens and thereby concentrate them. anything they settle upon will ourst into flames. The whole of this life's purpose is to become still-to withdraw from outer environments. and to concentrate. You have great strength in you; you are the child of a Lion.

So when Bhardwaj Rishi answered the householder Shonak's question, he sought to reply in such a way as to be of help to Shonak in his household duties. Knowing he was a literate man, the Rishi said, "There are two kinds of teachings. One is called apra vidya and the other para vidya. Apra vidya comes from books. scriptures, etc., and creates some interest in the seeker, which leads to some devotion too. For this, customs, rites, pilgrimages, saying prayers and singing hymns, giving alms, fasting, performing austerities, etc. will help to create the bhakti [devotion to God].

However, this is all preparation of the ground and there is no real satisfaction in it because it will not give salvation or realization. All these things come under the category of good actions, and

one may gain a heavenly place through them, but again and again the soul will have to return to earth. for they are all at the level of the senses."

These are the first steps to be taken toward the Lord, just as a child goes to school and first learns how to use a pencil, but you can see just how much value these actions hold. You all have taken these steps at some time o r other, but now go ahead. Make the best use of the foundation you have built; the foundation alone cannot take you to the u!timate goal, without your knowing the self. Brothers. withdraw, become conscious of your self, and get the contact with the Overself. A s Bhardwaj Rishi told Shonak the householder. when you know yourself. you will know everything. Now you can see that this teaching is for all true seekers of God. God made man, but H e did not stick any label on him. The purpose of all religions is to realize God and to spend this life's journey in peace, contentment, and usefulness to each other. These were the true aims, but what was the outcome? He started to realize G o d , but in between the mind tclrned turtle. You may ask, "Have we lost ourselves?" Yes, most decidedly yes.

One Muslim fakir says that the atrocities man has committed against himself could not have been done by even the blindest of all. And the biggest atrocity? Living in this house, we lost contact with the One who runs it. The mystery of life must be solved. no matter to which religion a person belongs.

The Masters who solved this mystery were born into various religions, just as were those who contacted them and who in turn were taught the solution. Ravidas was a cobbler, Kabir Sahib was a weaver. Tulsi Sahib was a brahmin. Man made castes, but God made the soul and S ANT BANI

embodied it within the human form.

First rise above the senses, and then tell what you are and what is your religion.

No matter which Master's hymns you take, the subject will remain the same, even though language and expression may vary. Masters do not consider men from their religious labels, but rather they see everyone as soul in the body, and regard all from the level of soul.

They are not Gurus of any particular religion, but are Gurus of mankind.

Satgurzl is one who brings all peoples together. For the Satguru there is no conflict of caste or creed-no thought of breaking old traditions or making new ones. In fact they do say that there are already more than sufficient religions and sects in existence. Our Hazur would remark that there is no point in digging new wells when there are already more than enough to serve the people. Man must either live up to his religion, or make a new one. Is it not better then to remain in your present formation?

But while living according to its aims and precepts, seek for one who has already solved the mystery of life and who can help you to fulfill the same. You may find such a personality in any religion, and you may call him by any name you wish.

To become proficient in any certain subject, one must go to an expert in that study. If a person has a sincere desire to learn about the soul, he or she should approach a competent teacher of Spirituality-one who has realized himself and the Overself. This is a matter of common sense, and needs no philosophy. All great teachers of this subject say that we are all embodied souls, living in the house of the physical form from which we can derive the greatest benefit if we but make the best use of the situation. The human form is the

king of all the species and is the highest rung in the ladder of creation, for in this form God has placed the power of differentiation through which one can detine truth from untruth and so achieve that which can be done in no other form. There is a prayer in the Ved Bhagwan which says, 0 Lord, take us from the untruth to the Truth. But of course if a man has no interest in either, what is the use?

Swami Ji Maharaj says, Hansni [a mythical swan-like bird] separates the milk from the water. You are hansni, 0 soul. Hansni is said to have the ability in her beak to separate milk from water, and drinks only the milk. 0 soul, you are like that hansni and you can differentiate the truth from the untruth.

Drink only milk, and leave the water.

Think of this body as matter; God resides therein, and only He is the Truth.

The body and all things connected are in constant flux, for it is the nature of matter to be ever changing. Only the soul is true, permanent and unchanging; try to recognize the soul. Atheist or devotee - manmukh or Gurumukh what is the difference between them?

T o know the atheist-he is lost in the world; T o know the devotee-the world is lost in him. The manmukh is lostlost in the whirl of mind and senses. For the true devotee the world does not really exist, for he has the Lord's intoxication and is awakened to the truth within himself, and has thereby forgotten both the world and the after-world.

Great is man. Do not think of him as merely a form-just a five or six foot puppet. If the gods and goddesses desire to gain salvation, they also must inherit this human form. The Upanishads say, Soul is riding in the chariot o f the body; Intellect is the charioteer, mind is the reins, senses are the horses dragging it 21

into the fields of enjoyments. So it means is fighting brother, and both declare that the sole barrier between us and the that their own sect is better. Is it not Lord is the mind. If we could only cast clear that all are the same?

Do not say that the books are all lies; aside the mind and the senses, we would realize our true selves, and the Lord. If Liar is he who does not absorb. The holy this aim which has been founded in all scriptures record the words of realized religion is not achieved, a man's life is people who have walked the path of wasted. When Zoroaster was asked for Spirituality. However many stcps they advice, he said, "Join the Army of took along this path, so accordingly they God." When he was asked what qualifi- taught others. We have respect for all. cations a person required to join this Just consider how the Masters regard army. he replied, "Good thoughts, good life. They are not bound by any special words, good deeds." This means, live affiliation, and they are not dictated to a righteous life in every way, and this by any politics. They are cosmic beings. has been advised by all Masters. O f all Peace be unto all the world, under Thy dhartnas, which is supreme? Take the will, 0 Lord. Guru Nanak also said. 0 Natne of God and live righteously. In Nnnak, the Naarn is ever-ascending; the Sikh religion, it is said, Repeat the Through Thy will the whole world benNaam and share your food with others. efits. The hearts of the Masters are so The teachings are all the same, and we abounding, everyone can have a place want to enter the army of God; but we therein. When they come, they come for enter only the army of religion. And the the upliftment of all peoples: all sects result of this is that men are fighting are theirs, all religions, all countries. among themselves. We put God aside When I was visiting the West, one place and start saying. "I am a Sikh" or "I am held a meeting for East and West, and a Muslim" and so on. Kabir Sahib says, I was invited to represent the East. To No one is Hindu or Muslim; Think of represent the West they invited a cerus as one. God made the human being; tain Frenchman, but at the last minute and man is older than all philosophies he could not attend the meeting, so the and religions, which were formed long organizers said to me, "Well, we will after man's advent for the noble pur- leave both East and West to you." I pose of realizing the soul. If this aim is replied, "There is no doubt that the saynot achieved. where then is the purpose? ing is East is East and West is West, 1 can only say that if the leaders of and never the twain shall meet, but some the religions were to give the correct man has said that-not God. The whole teaching, the world would be enjoying creation is the house of the Lord, and peace. Is it not the aim of all religions there is no East or West in it. All these to pass one's sojourn of worldly life in countries are but so many rooms in the peace, to be of helpful use to each oth- one house of our Father."

Airplanes have eliminated the vast er, to realize God? Surely this is the true aim of all, and if all are devotees distances between countries. Today one of the one God, then why all the con- may be in India and tomorrow in Engthe day after in America. flict and strife? Hundreds of lovers, but land-and But man is a man, no matter where he one Beloved for all. Customs and reliis and regardless of outer garb or cusgions may be separate, but the aim is tom; all are devotees of the one Lord. the same. But as things stand, brother S ANT BANI

When I was asked in America if I had come to found some Ashram, I told them that I had come to uplift the very ashrams that people carry around with them (the physical form). "People have forgotten these things; I have come to awaken them. There is no need for introduction of anything new, for the thing already exists within, but I have come to revivc what you have forgotten." Masters regard situations with a very open outlook, but those whose outlook is confined to their own closed sect do not give the true teachings.

Just before the partition of India and Pakistan [in 19471 fighting between Hindus and Muslims was going on, and our Hazur went to many such disturbed areas. People repeatedly told him, "If only you had come before, there would have been no fighting here." 1 am trying to explain very clear and straightforward facts. Because of earning food for the stomach through the name of religion, so much misunderstanding has been born. If four drunkards can sit together and enjoy each other's company, then why not four devotees from different religions. for the purpose of love and understanding? It might be said here that the former have some kind of intoxication, but the latter have none.

Kabir Sahib explains it this way: that a buns [mythical swan-like bird] once sat in a field of kodrai (kodrai is a rather inferior grain). The farmer saw the hans, and started to chase him with his stick. So Kabir Sahib observes: This poor ignorant farmer does not know that the hans never eats gram, but lives on pearls. So Masters never come to take from worldly people. Now listen carefully to Kabir Sahib's hymn: In the inn of the body, the jivatraveler is staying; But why so enrapt in this madness?

The body is like an inn; and we are travelers in this world for but a few days. The senses or outgoing faculties ~hroughwhich the worldly impressions enter are firmly attached to this inn or house. The eyes alone absorb 83 per cent of all impressions. The ears take in 13 per cent, and the remaining three per cent is distributed among the other scnses. When we sleep, we dream of the impressions we have received in our every-day awakened state. As can be seen, our lives are very superficial; we have never taken a dip into our real self.

What is the purpose then of this innlike body? Its purpose is to enable us to know our true self, and to realize God. If the soul does not do this, then?

-If the life fades away without gaining the benefit, the advent of birth is wasted.

Lord Buddha said the same thing: that within human life the Truth can be realized. \.Jho knows when one will again receive the blessing of human birth? It was given for a definite useso why get intoxicated with sense-pleasures? What will be gained this way?

You go on seeing the world's play, but the craving for more and more is never satisfied. The ears are always listening to the world's tune, but are never contented with it. One thinks one is enjoying these sensual pleasures, but it is not so. The sense-pleasures are enjoying you.

In the Puranas [ancient Hindu scriptures] it is related that the god of food complained to Lord Vishnu that he was tired of the people eating him mercilessly. Lord Vishnu advised him, "Those people who eat you more than they need, well, you eat them up." Overindulgence in food leads to degeneration of the physical organs. lndulge the senses only as much as necessity demands;

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d o not create gluttony as a habit. If everything is used in a controlled manner, all things will be helping factors instead of doing harm. For instance, there is a certain poison which when taken in infinitesimal doses builds up the physical strength like a tonic, but when taken in large doses, it kills. All the pleasures of the senses were given for man to work through-but in perfect control. This house or inn was given for only a few days so that it should be put to the utmost advantage, but we are destroying it fast.

There are five senses of knowledge and five senses of karmas, and if only one sense gains control, what happens?

A moth, for example, is governed by the eyesight, to the extent of burning himself to death in the heat of a flame o r bright light. Fish o n the other hand are govcrned by the sense of taste and although happily swimming about in the water, yet they will rise to the angler's bait-only to be caught o n the hook and die in agonies of torment, flapping around on the earth. The large black bumble-bee has a very strong sense of smell and through this easily loses his life to a certain tropical flower that has the ability to close its petals over any insect entering within it. The sense of hearing is overpowering in the deer. I do not know if you have spent any time in the forests, but I have seen a deer jump forward as much as twenty yards. Even the fastest horse cannot catch this fleet-footed animal; and yet he is easily caught. Deer hunters play a certain tune on a special drum, hearing which the deer is drawn helplessly to\bard it in ecstacy of that sound. until he quietly lays his head down upon the drum, and of course is captured. H e spends the rest of his life imprisoned in captivity. In the male elephant, the

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sense of touch is very strong, even though he has the strength to uproot huge trees with his trunk. I once lived in the jungle for four or five months, and saw how they prepared to catch the elephant by digging a large pit and covering it with leaves, and then placing a female elephant nearby. When the male scents the female he loses all caution and rushes toward her, and falls into the pit which lies in his path. He is then starved for many days until it is possible for men to handle him and remove him. H e then spends his life in captivity. So you can see that when even a single sense is ruling out of the five it can bring death or slavery. What then is the condition of a being who is slave to all five senses?

Your whole life is being wasted and finally you will be withdrawn from the world-you have to leave this bodyeven if you have no knowledge of when that time will come. The great emperors, the learned intellectuals, famous philosophers, and even God-realized people-where are the bodies of all these persons now? They have all left the scene of action, and we must also leave sometime; there is no exception to the rule. If only the thought remained uppermost in mind: "Who am I? Where am I going?" This could change the very pattern of our life. Just think for a moment: If you received a notice to tell you that you had to leave town tomorrow, how would you spend today?

Would you not prepare yourself to leave? The time for leaving the body may already be fixed, but it is not known to you. It may come at any time.

Kabir Sahib says, Become virtuous, repeat the Naam; tomorrow may never come. What to speak of tomorrow, we have no guarantee of the very next minute! The breath continues to return to S ANT BANI

the body and the man remains therebut if it does not come back? Try to see what is sustaining it, for alone it is just a mound of matter that we carry everywhere. The friend [body] is enlivened as long as he companion [soul] is there; When the companion leaves, it is worthless matter.

When the soul leaves the body, four brothers pick up the inert form in a hurry, and rush it to the cremation ground. No one wants to keep it for long. But those with right understanding see the facts in true perspective. It is no new philosophy. Those who made the best use of the human birth and freed the soul from the rule of mind and senses gained knowledge of the self and also experienced the Lord, and for them there is no return to this world of action. But coming and going is not finished for those who live only and always at the sense-level, whether their actions be good or bad.

Lord Krishna says in the Gita that there are only two paths: pitriyan panth and deviyan panth. Pitriyan panth is the path of the karmic wheel, and the soul which travels it cannot get off this wheel.

But the soul which travels the deviyan panth-the Path of Light-never returns. It is the custom in the Sanatan sect of the Hindu religion to light a lamp and put it in the hand of a dying person, for it is believed that the soul will not otherwise gain salvation. But in fact this light should be lit while living-the Inner Light-for only then can the soul become free from births and deaths. Where is this Light? The Light is effulgent in him who controls the ten senses. The Light is already within all men, but one must separate from the senses to see it. There is no need to create it, therefore; just invert. You can say to turn the face inwardly, or

by self-analysis rise above the senses.

Kabir Sahib says, Why renzain intoxicated in this inn of the body? It is common sense to see that for the soul who is at the level of mind and senses and has become the image of the body and therefore is doing all practices at the same level, how can it be possible to rise above the body. mind and senses?

It anyone thinks he can do it, he is welcome to try. After all, what does a blind man desire? Just two eyes. But if you cannot do it, admit the fact and go to seek help from someone who knows the science of rising above body consciousness. Such a Master-soul may give a sitting to ten people, or fifty, or one hundred or more, but by his single fraction of attention everyone will receive Light. The proof of Light will be seen with one's own vision. So the path of the Saints is called the reverse path, for they teach the seeker how to invert the senses. When you meet the Satguru, inversion starts; Dying while living will unravel it.

When the soul inverts, the body becomes lifeless; he who dies while living becomes the one who experiences the Lord. Learn to die, so that you may begin to live. Maulana Rumi says that if you desire to have everlasting life, then learn to die while living. Dadu Sahib says, Dadu, die before; Everyone dies when the time comes. All Masters have made similar statements on the same subject. That person who has unraveled the mystery of life has no fear of death.

Die you must, so why not now? Stand aloof from the world. Such a death one can die a hundred times a day. To be able to rise above at will erases all fear of death. You are a guest in this inn of the body for a few days only-do not lose yourself in the madness of the senses and the sense-enjoyments. Do not 25

forget yourself entirely in this outer madness, but try to reach the aim for which the human birth was given. If this opportunity to do the real work is wasted, then who knows when you will be given another?

Rest for the night, leave in the morning.

It is a place where you can spend the night, but when daylight comes, you have to leave. Who stays permanently at an inn? Return to your own place, brother, why live in a strange country?

DO your own work and ignore alien affairs. This is not your country. You merely have connection with the physical form for a few days, and will soon have to leave. It can never be your permanent place; but where will you go?

Have you ever thought about that? The house you must leave is tied in your mind; There is never a thought for your permanent home. You have imprisoned yourself in its environments, and you have given it the status of a god. The true home has been completely forgotten. Who can say you are intelligent?

Perhaps you are learned through books, but the Masters say that one who does not realize his transient condition and has no knowledge of his real destination is either a fool or an ignorant child.

When a spiritual person is also learned in outer knowledge, he wears this like a garland of flowers and uses it to explain the truth in a variety of ways.

For instance, when Keshab Chander Sen went to Sri Ramakrishna, the latter said, "If you want to understand this teaching in one word then listen to me; if you would prefer to learn it through many words, then go to Vivekananda."

It is important that the mind should fully understand and be satisfied, for true spiritual experience can only be

had when the senses. mind and intellect are perfectly stilled. Nothing can be experienced while one is scattered at the sense-level, whether it be in enjoyments or in intellectual expansion. We should make the best use of the intellect for our own or another's understanding, but remember that reasoning can be a help and it can also be a bar. Through reason we can come to the point of accepting that God does exist, but having done that, why not realize Him? And for that. the intellect must then be stilled.

Everyone must leave the physical form-and that includes you. One Master says, Where have the parents gone who gave you birth? Y o u have n o knowledge o f their whereabouts. The facts are clearly evident, but the world's grease has covered you like a greasy cloth which does not retain water on its surface. We read books and scriptures, listen to numerous lectures, but the truth penetrates neither mind nor heart: that we must also leave the world.

Those who know they must go, why worry and scheme?

Why increase the worries and troubles more than necessary when we must all leave this place one day? If you knew you had to leave the world at the end of this day, how would you spend it? A certain Master advises, Spend each day thinking it is your last on earth. If this advice was rigidly followed, a person's life would be transformed. We go deeper into the forgetfulness because we do not remember death. Death is no bugbear, but is the name given to a change; or you can call it a transfer. That person can truly be termed intelligent who prepares for this event. How wisely we start preparing ahead of time for some worldly event, like a marriage or an examination, etc. The change of death SANT BANI

can also be called an examination which lies ahead of us, but we do not know the date. We do nothing to prepare for this.

Wherever the attention is, so do we go and reside. If one comes up above the sense-enjoyments and rises above the body-consciousness, our coming and going in births and deaths will cease. Otherwise, Good and bad karmas are both binding, like gold and iron shackles.

This is written in the Gita. On the path of pitriyan the coming and going continues, but the path of Light starts above the senses. Inside there are only two guides - Light and Sound - and they start when one rises above the senses.

Where the world philosophies end, there religion starts. You can also say that the ABC of Spirituality starts from here.

You will meet very few Masters who have knowledge of this. If only those who teach customs and ritual would also teach the true meaning or basis behind them, there would be love and harmony among men. We must love God, and as God is in each being, we must love all.

If all men sincerely took this up as a principle, where would be the conflict?

If each one had first-hand knowledge of the soul, and that the soul is the same in all, would we not respect each other?

Tulsi Sahib says, The Guru who bows down to the disciple is called a Sadhu.

The Guru whose eye is open sees the Lord in each individual. However, he whose eye is not open cannot be blamed for not paying his respects to the Lord in others. But what is happening today?

Gurus stand proud and erect, and the disciples go on bowing down, bowing down, in all faith.

The Master is trying to help us understand that the time is now. It is night and we are staying at the inn; in the morning we must leave, and what have we accomplished up to the present? Man

has achieved so much intellectually and physically, but what has he done for himself spiritually? We know little or nothing about the Truth or about our true self. After all, material success is achieved and sustained through you, and you will have to leave it all one day. If you leave the body without solving the mystery of life, it will result only in paying the karmic debts of ignorance. The worldly people will only help and respect you out of their own selfish desires. Even if one person may have all sincere sympathies and fine qualities, what can he do to help you when you have to leave? He can only stand and pray, "0 Lord, have mercy on this soul."

At such a time only a God-realized soul can be of help to you. 0 Nanak, break from undeveloped company and seek the realized soul; They will leave you while living, but even after death He will never leave. Worldly companions cannot be with you always, so why not seek one who will be a constant companion? And who is that? He is what is known as a Master, Sant, etc. A Sant is not necessarily he who is seen in a particular garb, but rather is he who has realized the Truth and has become the mouthpiece of the Truth. Whoever goes to such a soul will on the first day gain some experience in the science of rising above body consciousness, and will learn how to increase this daily so that the soul might leave the body at willeven one hundred times daily. All fear of death will be removed. And remember this: the truly realized person will never teach you outer practices, but recommends that whatever you have been doing up to now should be made full use of by going ahead.

Salvation can only be achieved by rising above. Put your attention on that Higher Place, where even Shiva is med-

itating. That higher place lies above the senses, where it is said that Lord Shiva is meditating. This is why the inner or third eye is sometimes called the Shiv Netra-Shiva's Eye. Its position in the body is behind and between the physical eyes, but is above the senses. If one's full attention can be concentrated there while living, then the soul becomes free from the wheel of life. With a little right understanding one can soon see that this life was not meant merely for eating, drinking, and gratifying all desires and passions. It has a far nobler purpose, and those who do nothing to accomplish this pur?ose in truth waste their lives.

This pure, priceless, bodily gown you have dirtied, spot upon spot.

It is a priceless gift, this human formking of all the species. It is written in the Koran that when the human being was made, the angels were ordered to bow before that form. It is the temple of the Lord: keep it pure and clean.

This body is the temple of God, wherein dwells the Light of Truth. We keep the outer temples in spotless condition, but what happens to the inner temple?

We may spend thousands on toilet requisites and beauty treatments, but inwardly the human form is filled with filthy passions of the senses. Even a dog sweeps the ground with his tail before sitting, and even for an insignificant caller one will quickly tidy up the home; and yet we want the Emperor of all existence to manifest in our heart. Can H e manifest in a dirty heart?

Inside we are black with deeds, outwardly fair and attractive; Y e t we wish to copy the pure and chaste One.

The enjoyments and passions have blackened our hearts-we are filled with jealousy, greed, anger, lust. backbiting and more. To all outer appearances however we are pure and clean and make a grand show by copying the Godrealized person. If you cover a dunghill with silk, will it then issue forth a sweet fragrance? Nature says no. If you cover a block of ice with a thick blanket, it will still give off its coolness. We have the human form, in which we can realize God, but we are daily soiling our lives with more and more spots. Even the dirt alone will eat away the texture.

An ethical life is the most important stepping stone toward Spirituality. Certain disciplines of the Hindus called yama and niyama were made for this, as was also the eightfold path of the Buddha, the four fasts of the Jains, and Christ's Sermon on the Mount. 0 Nanak, take the Name o f the Lord when the heart is pure; Y o u are trying to absorb the lies of the world. His Name should not be on your tongue if you have a dagger in your pocket with which to kill someone. You may deceive the whole world, but can you deceive the Lord? Even for the world, the cat will be out of the bag sooner or later, for one cannot hide a lie forever, and in the end it will come out in the open.

Why light this worldly fire for only two days o f life?

Why waste the only two days of life in the fire of enjoyments? Soon you must leave it all behind. And why were you given this life? Life is duty; Life is love; Life is the holy gift of God.

Anger, envy, arose in the heart of man, like a serpent.

These ugly things reside in the heart, S ANT BANI

but the soul is the image of love; for God is love, and He can only be realized through love. The purpose of all outer practices is to develop devotion, to incite interest, and to establish regularity. It is part of the soul's innate nature to attach itself to something, but unfortunately wherever it attaches itself results in misfit. The soul is consciousness, and if consciousness is to enjoy peace and happiness it must attach itself to some higher consciousness.

If it gains some brief enjoyment through attaching itself to matter, it does not mean that the matter is responsible for that; it is but a reflection of the soul's own happy nature, a reflection of consciousness. While the attention is focused on a certain thing, it will go on enjoying, but when the attention is withdrawn the enjoyment ceases. Is this not true? If this conscious entity, the soul, would rejoin the Greater Consciousness, the Oversoul, become fully charged and come into expression, all happiness would manifest in the whole being. But we do not enter that place where the happiness lies. Instead we spend all our lives searching in every other direction -North, South, East, West. Our Hazur used to say that we are like the weaver's shuttle which goes back and forth.

We should have respect for all holy places; but why were they made? They are there for the health of the soul. If one's physical body is sick, people say "Go to the hills and recuperate." A few months' carefree relaxation in the high altitude and fresh clean air is very beneficial and health-giving. So the holy places had an ideal purpose: to strengthen the soul by allowing it to withdraw from all the worldly affairs, leaving all worries behind, and sitting at the feet of some realized soul. This was the true purpose of the holy place, but today we

have made them into holiday resorts and have started our worldly enjoyments there also.

I have been to Hardwar [a famous place of pilgrimage on the River Ganges] many times. Once a large number of Satsangis gathered and requested a Satsang be held. When the Satsang started, I said, "Brothers, this place is very precious because many great Rishis, Munis and Mahatmas have visited here at one time or another. Guru Nanak came, also Guru Amar Das visited here off and on over a period of seventy years. It is therefore a most auspicious site-but what have we done to it?

When one travels toward town from the railway station one sees two cinema halls." A man stood up and corrected me: "No, Maharaj, there are now three!" Now tell me, is it the fault of the holy place? Consider why they were built: was it due to thousands of the country's population flocking there? No, the holy places became holy because a certain one or more realized souls placed their holy feet there. Millions of people have been born in Jerusalem, but today it is held holy by the whole of Christendom due to one man-Jesus Christ. The greatness of each place of pilgrimage can be accredited to at least some realized soul. Now what has more value? The realized soul, or the place that became known because of him?

We do become devotees of the holy books, but we do not want that which the books recommend. We decorate our houses with photographs or pictures of certain Masters, and surround them with artificial flowers, etc., but we have no respect for a living Master. When the Masters come to the world, we call them atheists or madmen. Many Masters have been treated like this during their lifetime, but after they leave the world we

29

start worshiping the very ground they placed their feet upon.

So, very lovingly the Master is helping us to understand that the body is ours for a few days only, and eventually we must leave it behind. God is love. The soul is of the same essence as He, and is therefore also love. A true human being is one in whom love exists and is expressed. How can ,a man be truly human if he does not express love? He should have been the very epitome of love, he should have loved the Lord, and the Lord in all beings, but instead he

became like a black cobra. Do you know what happens when the cobra strikes?

The place that he strikes upon starts burning; it is very poisonous. A wound from a sword for instance can heal within ten or fifteen days, but the wound from the human tongue never heals.

When I visited the West. some people asked, "How can we stem the danger of atomic war?" I told them, "By living up to what your scriptures say." And what do the scriptures tell us? They tell us to love the Lord, and as the Lord is in each being, to love everyone.

I Am Blessed I gazed upon Ajaib And God fell into m y eyes And Trust fell into m y heart He called m e daughter And I a m blessed.

I saw His radiant form And I fell i n f o God And God redeemed my life I call H i m Master And I a m blessed.

SAXDRA ROSS

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SANT BANI

Three Meditation Talks from Idaho Sant Ajaib Singh Ji June 12,1992 W e l l , it is the morning ambrosial hour. Our beloved Lords, Sawan and Kirpal, have showered so much grace upon us. They have done such a favor to us. They have given us this opportunity to do Their devotion, to sit in Their remembrance. They have given us the Naam which is Their life impulse. When the Master gives us the Initiation, He gives us His own life impulse. So He has given us such a gift that we cannot thank Him enough. There is no way we can pay Him back for all He has done for us. So that is why millions of times I salute the Feet of my beloved Lords Sawan and Kirpal.

Guru Arjan Dev Ji Maharaj said, "Do not spend all your night in sleeping. Sleep as much as it is required for maintaining good health but don't spend all your night in sleep. Wake up early in the morning and do the meditation." He says that for those who wake up in the morning and do the meditation, the Negative Power does not play mischief with them. And one who meditates on Naam becomes free from the tricks of the Negative Power. You know that there are so many tricks of the Negative Power with which he is always bothering us, like lust, anger, greed, attachment and egoism. So Gum Arjan Dev Ji Maharaj says, "Those who get up in the morning and do the meditation of Naam, and take advantage of this precious time, they are not bothered by the tricks of the Negative Power.

They become free of It." Before we sit for the meditation, it doesn't matter if you are sitting here, back in your home or anywhere, anytime before you sit in the meditation, make sure that you remember the five sacred names.

And when you have memorized them, when you remember those five sacred names, then with your eyes closed and without understanding meditation as a burden, you should lovingly sit for meditation.

All of you please close your eyes and start meditating.

August/Septem ber I YY2

Sanr Ji walkzng wirh Pappu, Gurmel& Mr. Oberoi in Idaho

June 13,1992 I t is the morning ambrosial hour; salutations unto the holy Feet of our beloved Gurudevs, Sawan and Kirpal, who gave us that donation of Naam, Who gave us this opportunity to sit in their remembrance. This is a reality, all the Saints have said this aloud, that there is one God, there is one Giver, and He can forgive whomever He wants to. Wherever He wants He can shower the Naam, wherever He wants He can cause the prosperity to shower.

Humilty is the sign of greatness. In Punjab there is a very famous saying that the branch of the tree which bears more fruit lowers itself down. So humilty is the ornament of the Masters and the Saints. It is the sign that they are great.

Naam is all-pervading, Naam is within us, and only from our within can we unite ourselves with the Naam. So with all our strength, withdrawing our attention from the outside we should sit within and we should do our Simran.

All of you please close your eyes and start doing the Simran.

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S A W BANI

Sant Ji in front of Hi5 house, at A & K Farnt, Rimbey, Alberta

June 14,1992 I t is the ambrosial hour, human birth also is an ambrosial hour. God Almighty has given us an opportunity, a chance, to meet Him and do His devotion.

Before you start doing the meditation, here or at your home-it doesn't matter where you are meditating-but whenever you have to start doing your meditation, first of all think about this precious hour which you are going to devote to the meditation. Make sure that you d o not have anything to d o in the middle of this hour. If there is anything which you must do or which you must attend to during the hour, you should finish it before starting the meditation.

And after that, do the meditation lovingly, don't understand it as a burden. Also before starting the meditation make sure that you remember the five sacred names.

I am very thankful to my beloved Gu.rudevs, Lords Sawan and Kirpal, Who have given us this opportunity to sit in Their remembrance. So all of you please close your eyes and start doing the meditation.

Sant Ji's Visit to Alberta A. S. OBEROI

A

rriving in Calgary on June 15 at about 2:00 p.m., Sant Ji left for the A & K Farm in Rimbey, Alberta, where the five-day program was held.

He reached there about 5:00 p.m., after driving about 180 kilometers. The landscape around the place is beautiful as if nature had spread an extensive green carpet all around, with clusters of towering trees looming large around the edges of fields. The terrain and territory is very pleasing to the eye, and it seems as if the balance and equilibrium prevailing in abundance all around, should go deep into the nerves and noses of the populace at large, and form a part of their general character and temperament.

The organizers had, while planning the program, thought that between three to four hundred persons might participate, but the actual number came out to be far in excess of the number thought of. [The dear ones stayed on the grounds in their own tents, in temporary A-frame tents holding twenty to thirty persons, and a few in RV Campers. Others preferring less rugged accommodations stayed off the grounds in nearby campgrounds, or motels in the towns of Ponoka & Rimbey.] It was a matter of great satisfaction and happiness, however, that all the dear ones staying off the grounds did make it a point to reach the Meditation Tent in time, that is, at least about fifteen minutes before Sant Ji's arrival at 7:00 a.m. sharp. Many were the blessed ones who made it to the place at 3.00 a.m., to be a part of the early morning assembly, and to receive the grace of the Guru. As Baba Sawan Singh Ji

used to say, the Guru distributes, at this early morning hour, with both hands by giving grace to each and every initiate, and which unfortunately the sleeping ones are deprived of.

It was both a pleasing and surprising sight to see all the dear ones gluing their eyes on Sant Ji when He arrived in the tent, and none wanted to move their eyes till they were finally asked to close their eyes and start meditation. Sant Ji generally refers to this phenomenon in the Satsangs for the Indian sangat, adding forcefully that the Westerners value the darshan greatly, and obviously derive optimum advantage, because they don't allow their sight to wander when they are in the presence of their Guru. This undivided attention on the face and forehead of the Satguru, besides cleaning hundreds of sins, is a great help in achieving the concentration at the still point. Baba Sawan Singh Ji also used to say that the devotees of the Guru, when in the Guru's presence, never bother to whom He is talking, and towards whom He is looking, because their focus is invariably on the radiant and refulgent eyes, face and forehead of the Guru. For them nothing but the face of the Guru exists during these blessed moments, and on this account their ascent and achievement inside is far more expeditious than the others.

With all the dear ones singing the bhajans describing the greatness and glory of the Great Masters, the whole atmosphere was resounding with the love and light of Hazur Sawan and Kirpal, and the dear ones present in the MeditaSANT BANI

tion Tent did feel and realize the august presence of Master Sawan and Master Kirpal amongst them at that time.

Many dear ones told me in confidence that they did not understand how the people say that They were two separate identities, even though They were called by different names; because their innermost realization was that They were one and the same-They were one and only one, as they found Them to interchange Their faces very often and one could reaily not decide as to Who it was-Sawan or Kirpal. I happened to relate this phenomenon to Sant Ji, when I got a few moments to talk to Him, and He said, "What is strange about it? Are They not present here and do They not prevail here in everything which exists.

Whose grace do you think is working here to make the atmosphere so loving and living? Don't thmk that They are gone-They are very much present here, but who would actually be able to see Them? Only those whose eyes are longing to see Them."

As Supreme Father Klrpal used to say, the sun rises daily, but do the owls see it? No, because for them the sun never rises. But it is not their fault, because their sight is closed-blinded. So also in this path of love, only those dear ones see the reality, who are filled with the love of the Guru, who are weeping to see His face, and who keep urging the Guru to enable their sight to be free of bias and bigotry, of ill will and jealousy and of the foolhardiness of thinking that if it were so, why should they not know about it. Such dear ones, who are caught in the pride of self, never get to the real point and not only fall into the ditch of ignorance themselves, but lead other simple souls to the same ditch and un-

dergo the biggest loss of life. But the devotees of the Guru always have sympathy and understanding for them and wish them all the best.

Sant Ji has His own manner and method of doing things. In meditation sessions, he speaks strongly though softly about the importance of human birth, the value and greatness of Naam the necessity of making earnest efforts with a determined will to sit in meditation. In doing so Sant Ji encourages and inspires sinners llke me to make the best use of the time and do what the two great Masters urged us to do.

Darshan sessions continued to be as beautiful as ever. As there were many Indian families, Sant Ji had to devote much more time to cover each and every dear one.

One of the dear ones amongst the Indian families had lost a very young nephew in a truck accident. While consoling him Sant Ji said, "You are yourself telling me that even though he was a non-initiate, the people who were present at the site of the accident saw a divinely bearded Sikh figure clad all in white come to his help. This is the support and protection of a perfect Master, about which I often say that the Guru is our only benefactor and our only savior."

He comes to our rescue at the most difficult time, the time of our death, when none of the worldly relatives, properties and possessions, for acquiring which we sacrifice the best of principles, could help us even a bit. Bound by the orders of His Guru, He serves us without any self interest and does not speak about it even obliquely. It is not for nothing that great Master Kirpal repeated all His life that a perfect living

Sanf Ji blessing the food SANT BANI

Master is a great blessing. Without coming in contact with One Who is Word personified, Who is a resident of the highest spiritual plane, Who has become the beloved son of God not by means of wills and documents or by physical relationship or nearness to the Guru but by constant and continuous meditation and by decimation of passions, name and fame, and by caring neither for the self or the world but only for his Guru, has become His form and the Guru speaks through hin-without coming in contact with such a One we lose the precious gift of human bu-th.

Sant Ji also told the dear one that his nephew who was gone was destined to go, and had been mercifully taken care of by the great Guru. Now we need worry only about our own self and not him, because the same death has to come for us too. Are we prepared for it, and if not, what are we doing to get ourself ready for this inescapable eventuality?

Sant Ji said we should learn by this experience, do our best from now on to act on the words of the Sant Satguru, mold our life according to what He tells us, vacate the nine openings of the body and traversing further reach the Radiant Form of the Guru to become His true disciple.

After coming back from seeing Sant Ji the family met me briefly and told me that their grief and sorrow had disappeared and that they got the realization that Sant Ji had visited Calgary only for their sake, as they had been undergoing great mental torture.

Another man who had never met Sant Ji before, but who knew of Him through one of His devotees, came to meet Sant Ji and seemed deeply disturbed at the violent happenings all over the globe,

but particularly in Northern India, and wanted Him to do something about it.

Sant Ji gave him a patient hearing and told him lovingly that Saints do not perform miracles. Instead they use persuasion and encouragement as instruments to tell the people coming to Them about the universal teachings of love and respect for every human being. Regardless of the religious label one may wear, God Almighty made us men at birth, and we acquire religious labels later depending on the family tradition into which we are born. Sant Ji told him that, whether in India or elsewhere, whoever is fortunate to listen to the words of the perfect Masters gradually learns the basic reality of the brotherhood of man and the Fatherhood of God. Their thmking undergoes a complete transformation with the result that they treat all mankind as their own, extending the same love and affection to everyone.

Sant Ji said that the man could see for himself whether the people among whom he was present showed those qualities or not. If so, Sant Ji said he could also take advantage of the opportunity to learn how to go within, to search for the Omnipotent and Omni-present God Almighty there.

It seemed that the simple truth stated

by Sant Ji worked its way, as the gentleman felt satisfied and attended the Satsangs held thereafter, with his family, and even wanted to be initiated. But as this is a matter of the appropriate time and good karma, he was not able to get it this time, although he became very inclined towards the Path divine.

One must admit that the way the people, drawn from diverse countries, communities and cultures, merged themselves into a single stream above the

profoundly drenched in the love of the Guru, and another part realized that no one can be a greater fool than one's own self, to be still involved in the world and worldliness, even after hearing such a marvelous discourse.

Sant Ji described in detail the plight of the human being caught in the affairs of mind and matter, and issued a strong warning to keep away from the mind and its innumerable tricks.

A highly educated gentleman, about 79 years old, an eminent writer and Roman Catholic by faith, came to A & K Farm to learn for himself the essentials of the Path. One of the organizers introduced him to me and we had an opportunity to sit and talk for some time. He was somewhat surprised to see the large numbers of hls countrymen attending the program with remarkable devotion and enquired whether Sant Ji knew many European languages and which one He usually spoke in. I told him that He speaks Punjabi, the language of a small part of Northern India, and from the worldly point of view does not know any language other than Hindi, but He has the knack of speaking to one's soul beyond the use of words. I told him how Master Kirpal explained that the Masters give out one-third by word of mouth and two-thirds through the eyes. The gentleman said that as Sant Ji has become so famous even outside India, He must be very well educated. In response I told him the following incident.

In July 1976, soon after I met Sant Ji, an initiate of Master Kirpal came to see Him in my presence. The man quoted from various books of his Guru and said that the position seemed to have been stated differently at different places. Sant Ji had a penetrating look at

the questioner and said , "You know who Master Kirpal was? He was the beloved son of God-nay, was God Himself and there can be no variation in what He said or wrote. The problem is that we, being unaware of the reality, and a constant victim of the mind, are bereft of the right understanding or insight and cannot fathom the true import of the words used by a perfect Master." Then with another deeper look at the questioner, Sant Ji said that as He was not fortunate to have any formal education, He had not read the books of Master Kirpal being referred to, but to His great good fortune He had read "the book of this six-foot man-body" which is said to be the book of all books, and He could talk about it if the man llked. The man was more than satisfied and said no more.

Answering a question about the essentials of this Path, I told the learned gentleman that Lord Chnst said, "The Kingdom of God is within you." As we are all anxious to meet God, have we ever gone within and seen God's kingdom. The gentleman said, "But the basic question is how to go within." I told him that just as for learning any worldly trade or skill one has to go to one who is an expert and who is capable of passing on the knowledge to others, similarly in the matter of "going within oneself," which is far more complex, more important yet mostly ignored, one has to go to an adept in this art of "going within." I told him that Sant Ji, about whom he was talking, is that adept Who possesses not only the competence but the commission from God Almighty to put searchers on the Path divine of "going within." I also told him that the meditation sessions held there every morning

were a daily exercise in the process of not moist, whose heart beat faster won"going within" and "learning to die while dering when such a blessed opportunity living" about which Christ had enjoined, would come again. In such an atmo"Learn to die, so that you may begin to sphere charged with intense love, a dear live." For this one has to clean oneself one approached the car with tears comin thought, word and deed, as Christ also ing from his eyes. Sant Ji, Who evokes said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for longing and separation in our dry hearts, they shall see God." The gentleman said gave him a hearty and smiling look and no more and it appeared that his queries with a small movement of His hand indid find an answer. dicated to go immediately and sit in medSant Ji left A & K Farm for the city itation in order to reap the real benefit of Calgary on the 20th of June at about of what priceless treasure had been giv4:30 p.m. after sitting with the dear ones en to him and to preserve it. Dear ones, in the Satsang tent and giving a brief this is how the perfect beings revive and farewell talk. refresh our souls which have become While Sant Ji's car was leaving, there weak for want of meditation and divine was hardly any dear one whose eyes were remembrance of the Guru.

To Put Ourselves in the Way of Seva TIBOR FARKAS

T

his is a small story that left a great impression on me. It is a simple melody about the greatness of the Master.

My part of the story starts on the morning of the first program day of Sant Ji's stay in Alberta. The Master had arrived the evening before, and already an aura of peace was settling on the Ashram and enveloping it.

It was about half an hour before the first morning meditation with the Master and there was already an expectation of seeing Him, and the expectation was mounting. We still had many small things that were not working or needed fine tuning. There was a phone in the middle house where the Bagga family was staying that was ringing and disturbing people. I had gone in there to shut off the

ring. As I was fiddling with it the phone rang. I had no business picking up the phone, because I wasn't part of the information crew, but for some reason I found myself lifting the receiver.

At the other end of the line there was a woman in great distress. Her name was Agnes, and she had arrived from Toronto the night before. She was a paraplegic and wheelchair bound, and had been left behind by the bus shuttle in a Ponoka motel, about half an hour's dnve from the Ashram. She had been trying unsuccessfully to reach the Ashram nurnber for quite a while, and at that moment she was terrified of being alone and helpless.

This morning's mix-up came on top of another the night before at the Calgary airport, where she came out a difSANT BANI

ferent door than she was expected to, she couldn't find the reception committee and she was lost for two hours. The retreat was not starting well for her. I recognized from her accent that she was of Hungarian descent, and since I also speak Hungarian, we talked a bit in that language, and 1 told her that I was leaving immediately to pick her up, and not to worry.

I realized after I hung up that I was going to miss the morning meditation with Sant Ji, and I felt a little sorry for myself. But I had promised Agnes that I would pick her up myself, and I couldn't ask anyone else to do it for me. It was a set-up, and I couldn't get out of it!

I had never before been in Ponoka, and I only knew vaguely where it was, but at that point I felt very confident in the Master and I had no doubt I could find it. I ran to our rented van, and someone shouted to me that Ponoka was due east 21 miles from the Ashram, so I drove out as quickly as I could.

The drive to Ponoka, oddly enough, was really wonderful. It was one of the loveliest days I remember. A few miles from the Ashram it dawned on me that I didn't really know where I was going. I had no map, I had no telephone number of the Ashram in case I got lost, and of course I was missing out on the first meditation with the Master. But the aura of the Master was so strong in that van, that I didn't worry about anything.

Ponoka wasn't where it was supposed to be. I couldn't see any town on the horizon, mile after mile. Finally, I found a farmer who redirected me, and after some time I did find the Stampeder Motel in Ponoka. Agnes was in the lobby, and she had stopped crying. We greeted each other without words; I couldn't find

anything to say. We hugged, and with great difficulty she got into the van.

After a few minutes, she told me that this was the first time she would be seeing the Master; that this was her first trip alone in many years, and that she had to rely totally on others for help. I found out later that she had used up all the family savings to come to see the Master. She wasn't complaining. It had just been very hard going and she was glad to be helped out.

After a while, I told her that I didn't exactly know how to get back to the Ashram. She took it bravely, but I knew it sounded really dumb. It must have seemed to her that nothing was going to go well. But the Master had other ideas.

On the way back, I made only one wrong turn, and when it seemed that we should be somewhere close, we suddenly saw the tops of the white meditation tent in the distance. I was relieved that we did not have to spend the whole morning searching for the Ashram.

The Ashram has three entrances, but the only one good enough for a wheelchair was the middle one, which passed by the Master's house. The guard at the gate told us, "Sant Ji is just coming back from the morning meditation. Would you like to go through?" Since Agnes had not seen the Master before, I thought that it would be great if her first glimpse of Him could be special. And in the back of my head I was feeling, in some irrational way, responsible for some of the pain and problems she had dealt with in the last few days. I had never before realized how difficult it is for someone in a wheelchair to get out of a minivan, even with help. After what seemed to be a very long time, we were ready, and I started to wheel her up the path.

When we rounded the bend, we saw the master and His party coming towards us. He was majestic and radiant. He was coming towards us, and I was no longer sure we should be there, but it was too late to back out. I pulled the wheelchair off the road to let the Master pass. When He saw her and me, He came towards us, and stepped quite close to her, giving her a long, beautiful darshan. Then looking at me. He asked if she was a local person.

All the rush of the last hour and a half, the days of work before the tour, the several years of waiting to see Him again, suddenly overwhelmed me. Here I was in front of the Master. my moment with the Master after all these years, and He was asking a simple question and all I could do was shake my head idiotically. He then asked if she had just arrived and I managed to say, "Yes." The Master looked at her again, nodded and walked on.

There 1s a moral to this story and an epilogue. The moral is that you should always take a map with you. No, that's not right. The moral is that we often think that bad things, chaotic events. are 42

happening to us and many times we despair that they can turn around. But for those of us connected to the Master, the turn-around can happen in one instant.

Neither Agnes nor I had expected such a gift for her, after she had to slug through so much pain. And even though I missed the meditation, I got zapped by the Master at our arrival.

The epilogue involves our private interview. Sant Ji thanked me for, in Pappu's words, "helping out the lady from Hungary." I t was really strange being thanked by the Master. I t was like a rich man giving me $1,000, and then thanking me for extending my hands to take it! From a different perspective though the Master is a gentleman, and a friend, and any true friend would thank you if you have helped him even a little bit.

And then He said, "It is true that Lord Kirpal does everything, but it is good for us to put ourselves in the way of seva."

I t is true that Lord Kirpal does everything, but it is good for us to put ourselves in the way of seva. I couldn't agree with Him more.

SANT BANI

Born in the Home of the Satguru Sant Ajaib Singh Ji Could you explain how much we lose when we talk about the gifts you give us in dreams or in meditation, do we lose all of it or a little? If we do talk about it can we again have such an experience or is it lost forever? How does it affect meditation?

It is a very good question but it has been asked so many different times in different forms and different aspects and it has been answered so many times. Many times it has been published in Sant Bani Magazine, so if you make the habit of reading the magazine, if not in one issue, in another issue you will find the answer to such questions which are confusing you.

Usually dreams are created from our day-to-day thinking-the work which we do during the day or the thoughts which we think during the day-the dreams are created fiom those thoughts.

When we are awake our consciousness remains at the Eye Center, but when we go to sleep it drops down and goes to the throat center. When our soul is at the throat center we start having visions or dreams in the state of sleep. When we are in a deeper sleep our attention, our consciousness, falls down even further to the navel center. We are not able to do the things which we are thinking when our consciousness has reached the navel Thls question and answer session w m given in Jaipuc India, on March 6, 1992.

Augusth'eptem ber 1992

center, that is why the dreams which we have when our consciousness has dropped down to the navel center do not have any complete meaning. The dreams which we have when the consciousness is at the navel center sometimes will have one part correct and another part not correct; it will be in pieces and that is why we cannot figure out what is happening there.

In the dreams which we have when our consciousness has dropped down to the navel center sometimes we run a lot, but we never get anywhere. Or we try to get somewhere, or we try to get something, and we cannot get it. Sometimes the dreams which we have in our deep sleep are very horrible, and we are very confused by such dreams. That is why in the Satsang it is always said that we do not have any peace either while remaining awake or in the state of sleep.

I will answer this question in two parts and then it will be easier to understand. One is about the worldly dreams which I have already told you and the second part I will tell you now.

The second part is regarding what you have asked about the dream or the experience of the Master-should that be told to people?

Always it is said that Satguru is such a pure vessel Who has become the Form of the Naam. Below the eyes it is all the organs of senses and the pleasures of the world. It is all dirt. And since Satguru is a very pure and holy being, He

never goes below the Eye Center, below the eyes. The thing is we people do not do enough meditation, that is why we do not know the greatness of the Master.

But this is true, that the Master Who is the purest being will never go below the eyes. Those who meditate know that sometimes when our mind becomes quiet and peaceful then, showering His grace on us with His gracious Sight or through the gracious hook of love, Master pulls our soul up, brings it to the Eye Center, and gives us His darshan there.

Mind is our greatest enemy. He is the agent of Negative Power and it is his duty to keep the souls away from the Master. First of all he is told that his duty is to check that no soul should be allowed to come to the Master. If the soul is able to come to the Master, he should not get the Initiation; and if he gets the Initiation, he should not be able to meditate; and if he is able to meditate, he should not have faith in the Master.

Mind does not want to lose any opportunity. When I went to Nanairno, over there an Initiation took place and many dear ones got very good experiences during the Initiation. They told me about their beautiful experiences, but also this question was asked, "Master, will we be able to see the same things when we return home?"

So I laughed and lovingly told them, "Whatever you have been given here, there is no way you can decrease it, even if you want; and you have to increase this. No one can take away the grace or the experience that you have been given here."

When the mind can delude us even after we see the things with our own eyes, then it is very easy for him to con-

vince us, it is very easy for him to delude us, about the things which we have seen in the form of dreams.

Once a woman satsangi told Baba Sawan Singh, '.'Master, I used to have very good meditations, but I told someone about my meditations, and now what I had has been lost."

Master Sawan Singh Ji said "You see, what is the fault of Master in this? Suppose you have a precious diamond, will you go on showing it to the other people? Will you go on telling other people about the diamond you have? If you will go on showing the diamond to the other people, if you will give the secret to the other people about the diamond you have, will they not try to rob it? So when you tell other people about the experiences whch you have ha4 then they envy you and the effect of their bad karmas affects your meditation."

In the same way, in the town of Abohar there used to live one executive engineer, an initiate of Master Kirpal Singh, who used to see many things in his meditation, and he told someone about the lights and things which he was seeing. So when he told the other person about the lights which he was seeing, all the lights were stopped. So he repented and came to my ashram and he told Master Kirpal Singh that he had lost all that he was having. Master Kirpal Singh Ji loving told him, "Suppose you show a mirror to an ugly person, who does not like to look at his own face, and if he breaks that mirror, whose fault is that?"

In the same way, about two years ago, a dear one came from Punjab to 16 PS to get Initiation. When he returned to his village he started talking about the beautiful experiences he had at the time SANT BANI

of Initiation. There are many satsangis in his village who have been on this Path, who have been initiated, for ten or twelve years, so when they heard all the experiences that he was talking about, they felt very envious. They thought, "What is this? We have been initiated for ten or twelve years, and we have not had any experience; this person has just got the Initiation and is talking about such high experiences?" So they felt very envious and they even wrote to me about their envy.

There was an initiate who had been initiated for twenty years, so he and the other people wrote to me, "What is this?

That person got so many good experiences. And even though we have been on this Path and meditating for so many years, but still we have not gotten any experience?" So they were jealous and they complained to me about him. So I wrote them back saying lovingly, "Dear ones, you should not worry, now he will not be able to tell about his experiences to you, it was only for a few days that he got those experiences."

So he stopped getting the experiences and now he is suffering a lot. He cannot give up the Satsang, he comes to the Satsang every month but as far as the experiences are concerned he is not getting anything, and he cries in front of me, and he tells me to give him the experiences. I tell him, "Dear one, that was the grace of the Master. Now you have to work hard; you have to make the efforts to get the same experiences."

Master Kirpal Singh used to say, "If graciously Master has given you good experiences in the meditation, you should not go on telling people about it. If you will go on telling people about your experiences then the grace of the Master August/Septernber I992

will stop." It is not good to go on rattling the shells, and go on telling other people about your experiences. If you have them with the grace of the Master, you should absorb them, and you should enjoy and keep it to yourself. Because when you tell another person about your experiences and dreams, he does not gain anything from that, and you do lose a lot."

Master Sawan Singh used to say, "If you have been given any grace of the Master you should keep it to yourself in such a way that not even a little bit of smoke may come out from your within; no one should know anything about what you have been given."

We get the worldly dreams without t h b g about them, without making any effort for them, but no matter how much effort we make to have the dream of the Master, we cannot have that until Master Himself showers grace on us. Many dear ones pray to the Master, they even get on their knees and pray to the Master, that at least in the state of dream He should give them His darshan. But that does not happen, it happens only when the mind of the dear one is quiet; because we never have a dream of the Master, it is the grace of the Master when we see Him in our within. Master never goes below the eyes, because it is all dirt over there, and we get the dreams only when our consciousness drops down below the Eye Center. So whenever the Master is gracious on us, whenever the mind is quiet, and He pulls our soul up, and brings it to the Eye Center, over there He gives us His vision, or His experience.

What should we do if we get such grace of the Master? We should keep it to ourselves; and keeping that beautiful,

Radiant Form in front of our eyes all the time, we should go on doing the meditatlon.

Sant Mat is not a fairy tale. It is a Path of practice and doing. It doesn't matter who does it. Be it a man, a woman, a child, an old person, whoever does the practice can get the results. It is not a path of mind and intellect, it is a path of practice.

Kabir Sahib says, "You can find many people who talk about things, and those who have many 'arrows of the talks' and they will talk and debate about everything, but rare are the ones who churn out the essence and who really do what they talk about." Guru Nanak Sahib also said, "No one has realized Him just by talking."

So it is not a matter of talking, it is a matter of doing. In the bhajan Eh Manas Jame Nu Sohnya you would have read that "this is not a matter of talking; this is a matter of practice. Anyone who does it can see."

So I hope that by now you would have easily understood that the worldly dreams do not give us any peace or happiness. And the vision or the experience which we have of the Master is not a dream, it is the Reality, it is the grace of the Master. When we have such a vision or experience of the Master our heart remains full of happiness and it blooms like the lotus all day long, and for many days that happiness remains there. So do not thmk that is a dream. It is the grace of the Master, and keeping that beautiful Form of the Master in front of you, you should do your meditation and progress spiritually.

Once we dze our spirit goes up. Does it go hack f o the same place, to our Father

from whom we came? Do we ever come back to earth? Where do we incarnate again?

It is a very interesting question; understand this, pay full attention. Once someone asked Baba Jaimal Singh, "Master, all the rites and rituals that we used to do before we came to you, before we got the Initiation-" because you know that in India after someone dies people do lots of rites and rituals in his name or for him, so they asked Baba Jaimal Singh, "Master, since now we have become Satsangis should we continue doing the same rites and rituals which we did before, or should we stop?"

In Bogota I did some Satsangs based on the book Ratan Sugar written by Tulsi Sahib. If you read those Satsangs you can understand the answer to this question very clearly, but I will try and answer it here also.

When the Satguru gives us the holy Initiation He sits within us in the Form of the Holy Shabd and He does not leave us until He takes us to our eternal home.

Sach Khand. In our within, on the righthand side the Master is residing and on the left side the Negative Power is there.

When we leave the body, first of all our feet become numb, then our knees become numb, and as the soul goes on withdrawing from the body finally it comes to the Eye Center. When the actual death happens, those who are not initiated are taken away by the Negative Power, and at that time the soul who has been taken away by the Negative Power is very confused. She becomes very nervous, because she is pressed under the teeth of the Negative Power.

Tulsi Sahib has also said, "When the soul goes under the teeth of the NegaSANT BANI

tive Power, at that time she feels terrible pain and the tears come in her eyes."

But this is the condition of those who do not have the perfect Master, who have not received Initiation from the perfect Master. But those who have been initiated by the perfect Master. as soon as they are withdrawn from their body, when they go behind the eyes, the Master, Who is present there all the time, at once takes care of that soul.

So Baba Jaimal Singh, in replying to the question which that dear one asked IIim said, "When a Satsangi gets the Initiation from the perfect Master, he is born in the home of the Satguru; and all the rites and rituals which need to be done, they all get done just by getting the Initiation, because the disciple or the soul is born anew at that time in the home of the Satguru."

I got many blessed opportunities to sit at the feet of Baba Sawan Singh Ji. It was such a time when, in the Punjab, He was opposed very much. The people who would oppose Him would somehow find out the Five Holy Names and they would try to stop other people from going to Baba Sawan Singh. They would say, "Why are you going there? We can tell you what He will tell you there." So they would tell the holy Names to the people.

So when one person somehow got to know the Five Holy Names and he went on telling the other people about the Names, another dear Satsangi went to Baba Sawan Singh and reported that such and such a dear one had found out about the Simran and was telling other people.

Master Sawan Singh said, "Giving Initiation is taking on the responsibility. tak-

ing care of the soul, it is not just giving out the Five Words, it is taking responsibility for the soul."

Baba Sawan Singh also said, "Suppose if a dog passes through a cotton field, he cannot make a coat of it." He said "When the Master gives the Initiation, He sits within the disciple in the Form of the Shabd, and He does not leave that soul until that soul has been taken to the Eternal Home."

If we have to come back into this world again and again like the ghosts and the spirits then what is the use of going to the perfect Master?

So Satsangis should never think, not even in the state of forgetfulness, that they will have to be incarnated again.

Because you have already been incarnated in the home of the Satguru and you don't have to come back into this world. Once you are born in the home of the Satguru then you don't have to come and go in this world.

The same question was asked by the sidhas to Guru Nanak, "Tell us how you have finished your cycle of coming and going?"

Guru Nanak Sahib replied, "By taking birth in the home of the Satguru, I have finished my coming and going in this world."

Often I have told you what Baba Sawan Singh Ji used to say about one potter who had to carry some clay to the royal palace. While he was taking his donkeys he would say, "Come on fnends, come on sisters, come on daughters."

He was calling his donkeys as sisters and fnends and things like that. So someone who heard that said, "These are the donkeys; then why are you calling them

as sisters and friends?" He said, "Well you didn't understand; I am just doing the practice. Because you know that I have a very loose tongue, I use the slang words, and I am going to the palace.

What if a bad word comes out of my mouth? That is why I am trying to be polite; I am practicing the polite words."

So dear ones, all the Bhajan and Simran which you do, all the Satsang and the requests and prayers which you make to the Master here, is like the practice which you are doing and which you should always do. You are making this prayer to the Master, 'Wow you should forgive us."

So it is our responsibility to do so much meditation that we may rise above the organs of senses and the mind, and while we are alive we rise above and go to that place, and see with our own eyes the place where we have to go and live after we leave this world so that we may not even have to ask this question about where we will be incarnated again.

Guru Nanak Sahib says, "We should die while living. We should do such a practice that we may die while living."

So while we are living in this life we should rise above the organs of senses and the mind, and we should see the place where we have to go and live after this life. We should be able to see that with our own eyes.

Dear ones, now we do not have much time, but my heart is full and I would have loved to say more about how my beloved Master has been showering grace on the people. It doesn't matter whether it is east or west, He is showering grace on the people in all the different parts of this world.

SANT BANI